There is no doubt about it- we sure do love our guns. Last year,

Question

There's no doubt about it-  we sure do love our guns . Last year, the  Small Arms Survey  concluded that the United States has 88.9 firearms for every one hundred people. This rate is more than that in Yemen, Mexico, Pakistan, and the West Bank/Gaza combined. Yet, there’s a heck-load of research indicating that a pinch of gun control would keep us safer, and potentially even save our lives. After all, more guns equal more homicides and also equal more suicides.

In the argument given, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles?

A- It is the main conclusion of the argument.

B- It is a circumstance, the implication of which is at issue in the argument.

C- It is a claim, the accuracy of which is at issue in the argument.

D- It is evidence that is against the main conclusion that the argument seeks to establish.

E- It is a hypothesis that the argument is based upon.

Source:Experts' Global.

CrackverbalGMAT · Accepted Answer

Let us analyze the various options given:

A- It is the main conclusion of the argument.  Incorrect. The main conclusion of the argument is the following: "...a pinch of gun control would keep us safer, and potentially even save our lives". Eliminate.

B- It is a circumstance, the implication of which is at issue in the argument.  This appears correct. Us "loving our guns" can be described as a circumstance, or a state of being. Its implication is also the main contention in the argument - how widespread gun ownership impacts our safety.

C- It is a claim, the accuracy of which is at issue in the argument.  While the bold portion could be considered a claim, the argument does not discuss its accuracy. Eliminate.

D- It is evidence that is against the main conclusion that the argument seeks to establish.  The bold portion does not provide any evidence against the conclusion. Eliminate.

E- It is a hypothesis that the argument is based upon.  While there could be a case for considering the bold portion a hypothesis, the argument is in opposition to the bold face in tone and is not based on it. Eliminate.

Hope this helps.

JS1290 · Answer

Should be option B. The bold part is neither the main conclusion, claim, evidence, or the main hypothesis.

Abhishek009 · Answer

Undoubtedly (B), its a fact which has been further extended in depth by the author...

Circumstance = A fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action.
Claim = State or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof.
Evidence = The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
Hypothesis = A supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

guptakashish02 · Answer

C is incorrect .
C) It is a claim, the accuracy of which is at issue in the argument. - Its true that it can be taken as claim but we are discussing about its accuracy like how much we love guns etc. So that's why it is eliminated

Vibhav10 · Answer

hello,
hypothesis is an explanation made on the basis of evidence.
evidence - usa has 88.9 firearms per 100 people
explanation - we sure do love our guns
also the argument is based on this
can you guide me,where i went wrong
also i wanted to ask if there is a list through which statements can be categorized as
evidence /facts/circumstance/hypothesis.....i come across many terms in bold face cr questions and they confuse me a bit. i can classify evidence /facts only ,others not so much.
i was just wondering if you have a list of words with their meaning 
eg hypothesis- explanation backed with limited evidence etc
thank you

jaisonsunny77 · Answer

The  main conclusion  of the argument is the recommendation that " a pinch of gun control would keep us safer, and potentially even save our lives ."

Boldfaced statement:  we sure do love our guns. 
 
 Implication: more guns equal more homicides and also equal more suicides.
 
As you can see here, the main conclusion intends to correct the effect of implication of the boldfaced statement. This thought is perfectly captured in (B)

(B) It is a circumstance, the implication of which is at issue in the argument.

Hence,   (B) is the right answer choice.

ashn7 · Answer

how do you ensure it's not a claim?

Vibhatu · Answer

how do you ensure it's not a claim? please provide the official solution

anushree01 · Answer

How is this boldface a circumstance ?
Does`nt a circumstance mean a situation ?

guddo · Answer

There's no doubt about it- we sure do love our guns. Last year, the  Small Arms Survey  concluded that the United States has 88.9 firearms for every one hundred people. This rate is more than that in Yemen, Mexico, Pakistan, and the West Bank/Gaza combined. Yet, there’s a heck-load of research indicating that a pinch of gun control would keep us safer, and potentially even save our lives. After all, more guns equal more homicides and also equal more suicides. 
 
In the argument given, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles?

The argument accepts that Americans have a strong attachment to guns and then argues that greater gun control could nevertheless improve safety.  The boldface statement presents a circumstance whose significance the argument goes on to discuss.  Its truth is  not being questioned .

(A) It is the main conclusion of the argument.

Incorrect. The main conclusion is that some gun control would make people safer and potentially save lives.

(B) It is a circumstance, the implication of which is at issue in the argument.

Correct.   The statement presents the circumstance that Americans strongly favor and possess guns. The argument then considers what follows from widespread gun ownership, particularly its relationship with homicide, suicide, and the case for gun control.

(C) It is a claim, the accuracy of which is at issue in the argument.

Incorrect. The author does not question this claim. In fact, the following statistics are offered to support it.

(D) It is evidence that is against the main conclusion that the argument seeks to establish.

Incorrect. The statement does not provide evidence that gun control would fail to improve safety.

(E) It is a hypothesis that the argument is based upon.

Incorrect. The statement is presented as an accepted observation, not as a tentative hypothesis required by the reasoning.

Answer: (B)

egmat · Answer

Hi anushree01,

Good instinct:  "circumstance" really does mean a situation or a state of affairs  - and that's exactly why it fits here. Your definition isn't wrong; the piece that's missing is that a  fact or condition  about the situation counts as a circumstance too.

Look back at how CrackverbalGMAT put it in the thread - "us loving our guns can be described as a circumstance, or a  state of being ." That's the key. The boldface,  "we sure do love our guns"  (backed by the  88.9 -firearms-per- 100  figure), simply describes the situation the U.S. is in. It's a  standing fact/condition , not the author's conclusion and not something the author is trying to prove.

Now the second half of choice B - "the implication of which is at issue." The whole argument is really asking:  given that we own this many guns, what does that mean for our safety?  The author's answer is that a bit of gun control would keep us safer. So the argument is debating the  implication  of that circumstance - precisely what B says.

Why the wording of B fits

-  "circumstance"  = the fact/condition (we own a lot of guns) ✓
-  "implication ... at issue"  = what that fact means for safety is exactly what's being argued ✓

A quick everyday parallel to feel the word:

"This city gets very little rain." That sentence is a  circumstance  - a plain condition. If a writer then argues, "so we should invest in water storage," the  implication  of that dry-climate fact is what's at issue.

Map it back: "we love our guns" is the dry-climate fact, and "we need gun control" is the storage argument. Same structure - the boldface sets the condition, and the argument fights over what follows from it.

Answer: B

There is no doubt about it- we sure do love our guns. Last year,

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